City of York Council Trading Standards is concerned at the rise of identity theft.

It is estimated more than 100,000 people are affected annually in the UK, costing the British economy over £1.3 billion each year.

Identity theft occurs when your personal information is used by someone else without your

permission.

A new leaflet, produced by the Home Office in collaboration with UK financial bodies, the Government and the police, entitled Identity Theft - Don't Become A Victim, is now available from City of York Trading Standards.

It contains valuable suggestions about how to protect yourself from identity theft, advises you what to do if it happens to you and suggests where to get further help.

The message is simple steps can help protect you from identity fraud.

Your identity and personal information are valuable. Criminals can find out your personal details and use them to open bank accounts and get credit cards, loans, state benefits and documents, such as passports and driving licences, in your name.

If your identity is stolen you may have difficulty getting loans, credit cards or a mortgage until the matter is sorted out.

New research commissioned for the recent National Identity Fraud Protection Week shows more than 18 million households could be failing to protect themselves from the fast-growing threat of identity fraud because

they are throwing personal documents in the bin.

A study has shown three quarters of household waste contained sensitive material such as cheques, utility bills, bank

statements or insurance documents, which could fall into fraudsters' hands.

By the end of the year, the UK's fraud prevention service, CIFAS, estimates there will have been 135,000 reported incidents of

identity theft and most victims

will be consumers who thought it couldn't happen to them.

Don't Become A Victim! For a free copy of the leaflet published by the Home Office identity fraud steering committee, phone Consumer Direct on 08454 040506.

You could avoid the trauma of becoming a victim by taking just a few simple steps to protect yourself - this leaflet will show you how.

Updated: 11:15 Thursday, December 08, 2005